Four Types of People You Hire

Lou Adler said, when it comes to hiring there are only four types of people in the world.

• Type 1: those you should never hire. If you’ve ever hired someone who is a true misfit it’s apparent to everyone else you did something fundamentally wrong. The likely causes: you didn’t look at the resume, you trusted your gut, you didn’t know the job, you hired largely on presentation and personality, you were desperate, or you didn’t conduct a background check.

• Type 2: the bottom-third of those who are hired. Typically these people have the basic experiences, technical skills and academic background, but they’re assessed primarily on their personality, first impression, affability and presentation skills. One big problem with these hires is they need more coaching and supervision to do average work. Worse, some demotivate everyone else on the team.

• Type 3: the middle-third of those who are hired. These people also have the basic skills and experiences, but in this case the assessment is more thorough. Generally this involves more behavioral-like interviews with more people, a more in-depth technical assessment, a battery of questionnaires, and a thorough background check. This is the interview process most companies use and it’s one designed largely to prevent mistakes. The unintended consequence is hiring people just like those who have always been hired since it’s the safer decision. The reasons these people aren’t in the top-third typically involve lack of motivation to do the actual work, some cultural fit problem, a style-clash with the hiring manager, or lack of necessary drive, leadership or team skills.

• Type 4: those you hire who wind up being in the top-third of those hired. These are your star performers - the strong leaders who get results regardless of the challenges. They’re highly motivated to do the actual work required, they take on projects no one else wants, and they fit seamlessly with the people, culture and manager.

Harrison Assessments recognizes that more Type 4 Star Performers People are desired by companies. The dilemma?
Finding them.

The Harrison Assessment is designed to identify these Type 4 Star Performers and recruit them for hire OR help you keep those who are already employed in your organization. Design your hiring and retention processes around recruiting and developing a Type 4 Star Performing team.

It starts with a good interview and selection process, continues with development and may possibly finish with succession planning. All functions Harrison Assessments are specifically designed to help with.